Digital cameras and other imaging devices typically include an adjustable aperture to control the amount of light reaching an image sensor. Larger apertures allow more light to reach an image sensor, while smaller apertures allow less light to reach an image sensor. Conventional variable apertures often rely on a traditional rotating iris approach in which multiple rotary blades are moved by small piezoelectric motors. Unfortunately, this approach typically requires a larger number of components and complex drive circuitry for the motors. Also, traditional rotating irises typically wear out after a few thousand actuations or a few tens of thousands of actuations, rendering them unsuitable for use in some applications like those requiring hundreds of thousands of actuations. In addition, the blades that form an aperture are often thermally unstable, which can compromise the quality of the imaging device.